The game starts off with two having only two henchmen. These henchmen of course will provide assistance in battle but their bigger purpose is not to be henchmen but as guides to the most important purpose of chapter 1.
Though as the mod progresses you will be introduced to other aspects of lore and alignment, the first chapter is designed to immerse you in the entire Lawgiver/Mitraa paradigm and how the world seems from their perspectives. And do so in a non partisan way. I am not pushing an agenda. I am showing that different paths have both good and bad aspects to them. One of the ways I do it is through the main quest. The other- through the henchmen.
Pashupathy is a ranger, and rather famous cult author of books that pertain to using the secrets of the animal kingdom to improve your love (sex) life. Take him and only him in your party, and you will get a Mitraa perspective on things- not canon because the Mitraa are diverse, but a sense of how egalitarianism and a secular attitude can work both in noble ways and horribly vulgar ways.
Himanshu on the other hand is the human side of the Lawgivers. And if you take only him, you will get more lore based information on HOW the Lawgivers percieved the events that led to your quest.
If you take both- you don't get too much info and perspective, but you can talk to them individually and learn about why they are the way they are, and you do get the interactions which are characteristic of what each think of each other. Not just as people but as "factions".
Though you will meet both in later chapters, neither will be a henchman any more after a key event in chapter 1.
It is in chapter 2 that you meet your real companions.
I shall speak more about them in my next blog entry.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
More on Alignment
I have given an illustration of how the Lawgiver and Mitraa alignments work. A brief recap:
Alignments:
Lawgiver: Only one path, only one way. Following the rules of society. Collectivism over individualism. Can be good or evil.
For example- if a clanless dude happens to be walking out at day because he needs help finding an herb to save his kid, but societal rules forbid him from venturing outside his settlement except under the cover of darkness. A good-aligned lawgiver sort will say, here is a compromise- I don't want you walking the streets (against the societal law) so please go home, but I will help you find that herb and bring it to you. Both our problems are solved.
An adherence to societal law to such an extent that altruism and compassion take a back seat is not the act of a good aligned lawgiver. So the guy who says, go home and if your kid dies so be it, is a lawgiver but not a good aligned one.
Mitraa: Everyone has their own path. Humanitarian rules- general ethics over societal rules where it applies. Individualism over collectivism. Can be good or evil
For example- remember that clanless guy. An evil mitraa will encourage him to wander the streets and find the herb- rules be damned. A good Mitraa may offer to help because he is human too and no societal rules should interfere with the individual's need to better his circumstances. A guy who encourages flouting society's rules for the sake of it, is not a good aligned mitraa. A guy who will support it if it interferes with a person's happiness - is.
Complicated isn't it?
It gets far more complex.
Ganas (Types)
Ganas simply put refers to the sphere of influence over an individual. If a person is governed only by their own interests, passions and the like- he is of the Rakshasa gana. If his circle of influence includes friends, family, fellow natives, then he is a Manav gana, where he seeks to protect those he cares about. The Deva gana is an oddball. To him the entire world is his family and he seeks the welfare of the entire world equally, or the largest possible group there of.
Think of it this way. You just discovered your dad killed someone. A Rakshasa gana wouldn't care because it doesn't concern him. The Manav gana will try and protect his father from justice or harm. The Deva gana will turn in his dad because his dad committed a sin against humanity.
Conversely, you are in a battle and your family got attacked in their home by a group of raiders. The Rakshasa gana may act to protect his own skin- stay in the battle if he has better chances there, or abandon both if need be. The Manava gana abandons the battle and runs to protect his family. The Deva gana fights on even if it means his family gets slain, so that other families don't face the sorrow he does.
It is said each human has some of the above in them, forming a dominant type of person. Most people have some Manav tendencies, but the predominant tendency will mark you as one "type"
Gunas:
Every act belongs to three types. Those done out of compassion, those that are of passion, and those that are from apathy/ignorance. This is a tricky one.
All acts of altruism are good-aligned acts. There are no "but your help caused him to get lazy" arguments. Acts are not judged by their repurcussions but their purpose.
Satvik: A Satvik person shall always attempt the most non violent act possible because his compassion extends to all. Remember the Deva gana? This is the trait that most closely aligns with it. He will use violence only when absolutely neccessary and views the entire world through an egalitarian lens. He is as altruistic with a stranger, as he is with his closest friends.
Tamasic: Ever turned down a quest because you were not interested? Sorry, but your lack of interest in the suffering of others is a Tamasic act. Apathetic acts, or treating others and self with disinterest, not being actively involved in life, and your surroundings...or to put it in layman's terms having a "meh" attitude to life is Tamasic.
Rajasic: This is the most complex of all gunas because from it comes acts of great heroism, as well as pointless aggression. Simply put, this is the force that fuels the passion and the activity in you. If you are a Rajasic person, you always take the path of action, over the path of diplomacy, compromise or laziness/apathy. The trick is, did you do it for yourself, or did you do it for others. A belligerent bully who beats up others to show they are boss, or a man who intimidates, taunts or uses violence to achieve self-centric goals is showing his Rajasic nature negatively. A man who shows no mercy to baddies, beats up those who otherwise torments, hurts or harms his friends and family is showing positive Rajasic tendencies.
Here is an example of how it works.
Your sister comes home crying that her boyfriend hit her. The Rajasic person will go and beat the guy up either for beating his sister or because he dared to hit HIS sister (there is a difference). The Tamasic person will not care. His sister needs to take care of herself, anyway. He will get his sister out of the situation yes, but he will not abandon the boyfriend. He may try to discern if he can help that guy too in some way. Maybe a stint at the monastery will help him learn anger management?
Conversely, if the Kingdom goes to war, and his tribe tries to slaughter a village of innocent civilians, the Rajasic may not intervene but the Satvik might.
Think of it as all humanity is equal (Satvik), People I care about /I>Humanity (Rajasic), Humanity=0 (Tamasic)
Now if you have found that you have acted most in a Satvik way, you are becoming a Deva Gana person. To a Mitraa, that is an ideal. You have put humanity above a smaller group of individuals. The good aligned Rajasic person who puts family/village/specific God above all considerations is a Lawgiver Ideal. You are showing the tendency to protect those that matter over those that don't. The evil-aligned Rajasic person is mistrusted because he cares about nought but himself. Everyone hates the Tamasic person because they cannot count on them in any situation.
How this gets reflected in Gameplay:
If you are envisioning long dialogue trees with options for each one of the above, don't worry. That is not going to happen. Some quests will have only a satvik component to be gained. Others neither. It is not like everything you say or do reflects on you in multiple ways. It happens over time. It is cummulative over several quests. It is only at set points in the game where you can evaluate what you have done and where you stand, though each time you have made a Satvik, Tamasic, Rajasic (negative or positive), Lawgiver-like or Mitraa-like response- you will get feedback that you did.
Given that this is complex, you will get a chance at the end of the first chapter to erase your score book and start anew if you wish to. The first chapter is like a tutorial where you can explore how some responses have the effects they do and try to get a sense of it. When you stand up for your guardian when someone insults her- you will notice that your rajasic positive increases. When you act disinterested in anyone's plight, and refuse to help, you will notice that the game notices. And when you act in such a way that you honor an individual's desires over societal rules, or societal rules over individual need, or even HOW you word your compromise, it will be reflected as well. And once you think you have a sense of it, you get the chance to renew and restart in chapter 2.
Alignments:
Lawgiver: Only one path, only one way. Following the rules of society. Collectivism over individualism. Can be good or evil.
For example- if a clanless dude happens to be walking out at day because he needs help finding an herb to save his kid, but societal rules forbid him from venturing outside his settlement except under the cover of darkness. A good-aligned lawgiver sort will say, here is a compromise- I don't want you walking the streets (against the societal law) so please go home, but I will help you find that herb and bring it to you. Both our problems are solved.
An adherence to societal law to such an extent that altruism and compassion take a back seat is not the act of a good aligned lawgiver. So the guy who says, go home and if your kid dies so be it, is a lawgiver but not a good aligned one.
Mitraa: Everyone has their own path. Humanitarian rules- general ethics over societal rules where it applies. Individualism over collectivism. Can be good or evil
For example- remember that clanless guy. An evil mitraa will encourage him to wander the streets and find the herb- rules be damned. A good Mitraa may offer to help because he is human too and no societal rules should interfere with the individual's need to better his circumstances. A guy who encourages flouting society's rules for the sake of it, is not a good aligned mitraa. A guy who will support it if it interferes with a person's happiness - is.
Complicated isn't it?
It gets far more complex.
Ganas (Types)
Ganas simply put refers to the sphere of influence over an individual. If a person is governed only by their own interests, passions and the like- he is of the Rakshasa gana. If his circle of influence includes friends, family, fellow natives, then he is a Manav gana, where he seeks to protect those he cares about. The Deva gana is an oddball. To him the entire world is his family and he seeks the welfare of the entire world equally, or the largest possible group there of.
Think of it this way. You just discovered your dad killed someone. A Rakshasa gana wouldn't care because it doesn't concern him. The Manav gana will try and protect his father from justice or harm. The Deva gana will turn in his dad because his dad committed a sin against humanity.
Conversely, you are in a battle and your family got attacked in their home by a group of raiders. The Rakshasa gana may act to protect his own skin- stay in the battle if he has better chances there, or abandon both if need be. The Manava gana abandons the battle and runs to protect his family. The Deva gana fights on even if it means his family gets slain, so that other families don't face the sorrow he does.
It is said each human has some of the above in them, forming a dominant type of person. Most people have some Manav tendencies, but the predominant tendency will mark you as one "type"
Gunas:
Every act belongs to three types. Those done out of compassion, those that are of passion, and those that are from apathy/ignorance. This is a tricky one.
All acts of altruism are good-aligned acts. There are no "but your help caused him to get lazy" arguments. Acts are not judged by their repurcussions but their purpose.
Satvik: A Satvik person shall always attempt the most non violent act possible because his compassion extends to all. Remember the Deva gana? This is the trait that most closely aligns with it. He will use violence only when absolutely neccessary and views the entire world through an egalitarian lens. He is as altruistic with a stranger, as he is with his closest friends.
Tamasic: Ever turned down a quest because you were not interested? Sorry, but your lack of interest in the suffering of others is a Tamasic act. Apathetic acts, or treating others and self with disinterest, not being actively involved in life, and your surroundings...or to put it in layman's terms having a "meh" attitude to life is Tamasic.
Rajasic: This is the most complex of all gunas because from it comes acts of great heroism, as well as pointless aggression. Simply put, this is the force that fuels the passion and the activity in you. If you are a Rajasic person, you always take the path of action, over the path of diplomacy, compromise or laziness/apathy. The trick is, did you do it for yourself, or did you do it for others. A belligerent bully who beats up others to show they are boss, or a man who intimidates, taunts or uses violence to achieve self-centric goals is showing his Rajasic nature negatively. A man who shows no mercy to baddies, beats up those who otherwise torments, hurts or harms his friends and family is showing positive Rajasic tendencies.
Here is an example of how it works.
Your sister comes home crying that her boyfriend hit her. The Rajasic person will go and beat the guy up either for beating his sister or because he dared to hit HIS sister (there is a difference). The Tamasic person will not care. His sister needs to take care of herself, anyway. He will get his sister out of the situation yes, but he will not abandon the boyfriend. He may try to discern if he can help that guy too in some way. Maybe a stint at the monastery will help him learn anger management?
Conversely, if the Kingdom goes to war, and his tribe tries to slaughter a village of innocent civilians, the Rajasic may not intervene but the Satvik might.
Think of it as all humanity is equal (Satvik), People I care about /I>Humanity (Rajasic), Humanity=0 (Tamasic)
Now if you have found that you have acted most in a Satvik way, you are becoming a Deva Gana person. To a Mitraa, that is an ideal. You have put humanity above a smaller group of individuals. The good aligned Rajasic person who puts family/village/specific God above all considerations is a Lawgiver Ideal. You are showing the tendency to protect those that matter over those that don't. The evil-aligned Rajasic person is mistrusted because he cares about nought but himself. Everyone hates the Tamasic person because they cannot count on them in any situation.
How this gets reflected in Gameplay:
If you are envisioning long dialogue trees with options for each one of the above, don't worry. That is not going to happen. Some quests will have only a satvik component to be gained. Others neither. It is not like everything you say or do reflects on you in multiple ways. It happens over time. It is cummulative over several quests. It is only at set points in the game where you can evaluate what you have done and where you stand, though each time you have made a Satvik, Tamasic, Rajasic (negative or positive), Lawgiver-like or Mitraa-like response- you will get feedback that you did.
Given that this is complex, you will get a chance at the end of the first chapter to erase your score book and start anew if you wish to. The first chapter is like a tutorial where you can explore how some responses have the effects they do and try to get a sense of it. When you stand up for your guardian when someone insults her- you will notice that your rajasic positive increases. When you act disinterested in anyone's plight, and refuse to help, you will notice that the game notices. And when you act in such a way that you honor an individual's desires over societal rules, or societal rules over individual need, or even HOW you word your compromise, it will be reflected as well. And once you think you have a sense of it, you get the chance to renew and restart in chapter 2.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Provinces
Samsara is divided into five provinces.
1. Northern Provinces: The northern provinces extends from the Dronagiri mountains to the beginning of the Vindhya hills. It is the second largest province in the Kingdom, but perhaps the most important. It is here that the epic (some say mythical) battle between Ajeya and the Naga chieftain Nidraloka took place, and here is where the capital of Samsara is. It was originally called Ektaa or unity but no one calls it that anymore. As the freed slaves built their city, they strove to make it so wondrous that anyone who saw it, gushed that it looked like Gods lived there. The image stuck and people started refering to it as "Devanagari" or the city of the Gods.
Devanagari is home to the Palace of King Druta as well as the Sama building - the building where the councils meet and usually argue endlessly over nothing.
The Northern provinces also are the place where gems and gold are mined at the foothills of the Dronagiri mountains. They have recently started exporting gems to various foreign countries, including Kao Tur and Shou Lung, in exchange for silks. The hottest export these days is little dogs from Shou Lung that the noblewomen of Samsara absolutely adore.
The northerners pride themselves on being politically sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Though the southern provinces produce much of the culture, only the best managed to get the the northern provinces and they have access to the very finest of art and culture. They are always the first to know about any political happenings, and of course, if the KING choses to live there, they think their province is very fine thank you very much. They share a natural affinity with the southern provinces, who they will claim are "second best" as they are known to be intellectual and cultured and save their most bitter scorn for the people of the Western provinces, whom they dismiss as uncouth boors.
Their council representative is a man once famous for his diplomatic solutions that once prevented a war with Thay- Kabira. Kabira is also the author of the book "Sama, Dana, Bheda, Danda" or "Negotiate, bribe, create conflict, punish" which is considered an authoritative book on the art of negotiation.
2. Eastern Provinces: The rich delta crisscrossed by seven rivers that seem to take fertile soil from the entire country and dump it on their plains is THE biggest province in Samsara. And if you eat anything in Samsara, chances are atleast part of it grew here. The people here are simple, hardworking, and pious almost to an extreme. Labor and Rudra are their only two passions, and you won't see them engaging in gossip or speculation. The most famous city here is Bhakti, the city of a hundred temples, which is also the capital city of the province.
The simple, devout natures of the Eastern provinces means that they are often at odds with most of the other provinces, though they will tolerate the central provinces. Afterall, the central provinces make selling and trading a lot easier and have brought them a lot of prosperity. However, they mistrust everyone else, reserving true hatred only for the southern provinces of whom they are convinced each citizen is a godless, sinful, horrid human being sure to be reborn as the lowest of beasts. Maybe pigs.Eastern provinces are completely Lawgiver territory and even tactful, polite disagreement with their principles will win you some hostility. While they are far too devout to act violently, expect your conversation to come to a sudden, non -negotiable and absolute halt.
Their representative is the highly pious Lawgiver priest Chaturvedi. Chaturvedi is known to have facilitated fifteen thousand conversions in his youth.
3. Central Provinces: The central provinces are surrounded by sea on two sides, and by a network of rivers making it a trade hub for both internal and international trade. Their capital, the city of Ratnagiri (the Hill of Jewels) is home to the Trade council building and is the second largest city in the kingdom. Only Devanagri is larger.
Though Ratnagiri reigns supreme, a smaller town named Hasthi is coming into some prominence as it lies half way between both the eastern and southern provinces and Ratnagiri. Many travelers prefer to rest here and buy supplies before going on to Ratnagiri. Since Hasthi is cheaper, and also amneable to trade in old fashioned caravans that travel by road, the military has invested a fair bit of money here.
The people here are wont to be a tad abrupt, and speak their mind plainly. It is considered better for trade to be upfront with your thoughts and most have no patience for small talk or meandering discussions. However, since they are exposed to the widest variety of races, and nationalities they tend to be most accepting of people different from them. As a result, many foreigners can be found here living among the Samsarans. The Central provinces do not have any affinity with any other province, and though they view them with faint condescension, their contempt is more drama than seriously held convictions.
Their representative is the legendary Chanakya, the foremost authority on the sensitive subject of Economics. His treatiste - Arthashastra is required reading for anyone seeking to pursue trade as a profession.
4. Southern provinces: For people who live among pretty beaches and tropical, warm sunshine, the southerners are anything but easy going. Fiercely idealistic and almost militantly egalitarian, the southerners combine some commendable attributes with some very antagonistic ones. On the positive side, most of them grow steeped in culture and intellectual debate. They cherish ideals like the freedom of expression and the freedom of belief. On the negative side, they are always the spoil sports, finding fault with EVERYTHING others do. They don't take sides, and are more apt to criticize their King than support him. Southerners do not send any of their citizens to join the army.
Southerners are the polar opposite of the eastern provinces. Religion is often viewed as a philosophic attitude, and they rarely stand for anything- prefering to argue against everything or arguing for it, depending on their whims. This is strongly Mitraa territory, and Lawgivers are viewed with so much contempt most of them won't even deign to talk to you if you follow that philosophy. Southerners get along fine with the northern provinces as they see them as fellows in the pursuit of art and culture, but curiously, a strong and unusual bond has been created between them and the war-like westerners. Though they are "bereft" of culture, the southerners always support them as they admire their tough independent attitude.
Their capital city- Kalinga is an exciting city for those interested in architecture and the arts. They have more universities than any other province, and their representative is a woman (which caused half of the Eastern province to explode in outrage) named Vac. Vac (pronounced Vah-awk) is a formidable seeker whose speciality is anu shakti, which can loosely be described as the power of the atom. If she existed in modern ages, her profession would be described as some ancient, archiac form of molecular physics. However, she is more famous for the furious debates she has with Pundit Chaturvedi in the Sama council. These debates get so heated that common citizens who are absolutely uninterested in politics go to watch the proceedings purely for the theatrics.
6. Western provinces: Western provinces are described by northerners as the "armpit of samsara" and from a geographical point of view, this may be true. Everything about the western provinces is hostile - from the dense jungles, to the hostile wildlife. The westerners have had to fight off nagas, beels, predators, and unfriendly foreigners. They have had to survive droughts and flood. And eke out a living on sour soil and turbulent, treacherous waters. As a result, westerners are exceedingly tough. Children, both male and female are trained in arms as soon as they are old enough to weild a weapon and they grow up to be prized recruits for the Military. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the army is comprised of someone with atleast one parent from the western provinces. The commander of the military Gambheera is from the western provinces and the man he replaced- Jambhavan is currently the head of the western council.
There are no big towns in the western provinces, and they produce nothing of value. But in addition to the soldiers they provide in copious amounts, they are well known for another skill. Their boatmen- the charans who learn from navigating the brutal waters of the Pranshula rapids are considered the most hardy and skilled boatsmen in the world and are often employed by traders.
Westerners however do not see themselves as part of the Kingdom in any intimate way. Their participation in the military is not seen as a duty but as a "job". Bravery comes easily to them, but service does not. There have been talks of breaking away from Samsara to have their own country that is independent from Samsaran rule, and the southern province have been supportive of this. However, it has not gained popularity among the more powerful members of western province society, so this is not a big concern at this moment.
Westerners are suspicious of all foreigners except Dwarfs. Dwarfs stood by them during the Battle of Saptagiri (seven hills) and died alongside them as they defended the first seven settlements in the region against Beel tribes. Elves are particularily disliked as they are seen as shiftless and loyal only to coin, something the westerners loathe. The animosity between the westerners and northerners is also well known as both are exceedingly dismissive of each other. Westerners will tolerate southerners...barely, but will not form friendships easily with any other province member.
1. Northern Provinces: The northern provinces extends from the Dronagiri mountains to the beginning of the Vindhya hills. It is the second largest province in the Kingdom, but perhaps the most important. It is here that the epic (some say mythical) battle between Ajeya and the Naga chieftain Nidraloka took place, and here is where the capital of Samsara is. It was originally called Ektaa or unity but no one calls it that anymore. As the freed slaves built their city, they strove to make it so wondrous that anyone who saw it, gushed that it looked like Gods lived there. The image stuck and people started refering to it as "Devanagari" or the city of the Gods.
Devanagari is home to the Palace of King Druta as well as the Sama building - the building where the councils meet and usually argue endlessly over nothing.
The Northern provinces also are the place where gems and gold are mined at the foothills of the Dronagiri mountains. They have recently started exporting gems to various foreign countries, including Kao Tur and Shou Lung, in exchange for silks. The hottest export these days is little dogs from Shou Lung that the noblewomen of Samsara absolutely adore.
The northerners pride themselves on being politically sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Though the southern provinces produce much of the culture, only the best managed to get the the northern provinces and they have access to the very finest of art and culture. They are always the first to know about any political happenings, and of course, if the KING choses to live there, they think their province is very fine thank you very much. They share a natural affinity with the southern provinces, who they will claim are "second best" as they are known to be intellectual and cultured and save their most bitter scorn for the people of the Western provinces, whom they dismiss as uncouth boors.
Their council representative is a man once famous for his diplomatic solutions that once prevented a war with Thay- Kabira. Kabira is also the author of the book "Sama, Dana, Bheda, Danda" or "Negotiate, bribe, create conflict, punish" which is considered an authoritative book on the art of negotiation.
2. Eastern Provinces: The rich delta crisscrossed by seven rivers that seem to take fertile soil from the entire country and dump it on their plains is THE biggest province in Samsara. And if you eat anything in Samsara, chances are atleast part of it grew here. The people here are simple, hardworking, and pious almost to an extreme. Labor and Rudra are their only two passions, and you won't see them engaging in gossip or speculation. The most famous city here is Bhakti, the city of a hundred temples, which is also the capital city of the province.
The simple, devout natures of the Eastern provinces means that they are often at odds with most of the other provinces, though they will tolerate the central provinces. Afterall, the central provinces make selling and trading a lot easier and have brought them a lot of prosperity. However, they mistrust everyone else, reserving true hatred only for the southern provinces of whom they are convinced each citizen is a godless, sinful, horrid human being sure to be reborn as the lowest of beasts. Maybe pigs.Eastern provinces are completely Lawgiver territory and even tactful, polite disagreement with their principles will win you some hostility. While they are far too devout to act violently, expect your conversation to come to a sudden, non -negotiable and absolute halt.
Their representative is the highly pious Lawgiver priest Chaturvedi. Chaturvedi is known to have facilitated fifteen thousand conversions in his youth.
3. Central Provinces: The central provinces are surrounded by sea on two sides, and by a network of rivers making it a trade hub for both internal and international trade. Their capital, the city of Ratnagiri (the Hill of Jewels) is home to the Trade council building and is the second largest city in the kingdom. Only Devanagri is larger.
Though Ratnagiri reigns supreme, a smaller town named Hasthi is coming into some prominence as it lies half way between both the eastern and southern provinces and Ratnagiri. Many travelers prefer to rest here and buy supplies before going on to Ratnagiri. Since Hasthi is cheaper, and also amneable to trade in old fashioned caravans that travel by road, the military has invested a fair bit of money here.
The people here are wont to be a tad abrupt, and speak their mind plainly. It is considered better for trade to be upfront with your thoughts and most have no patience for small talk or meandering discussions. However, since they are exposed to the widest variety of races, and nationalities they tend to be most accepting of people different from them. As a result, many foreigners can be found here living among the Samsarans. The Central provinces do not have any affinity with any other province, and though they view them with faint condescension, their contempt is more drama than seriously held convictions.
Their representative is the legendary Chanakya, the foremost authority on the sensitive subject of Economics. His treatiste - Arthashastra is required reading for anyone seeking to pursue trade as a profession.
4. Southern provinces: For people who live among pretty beaches and tropical, warm sunshine, the southerners are anything but easy going. Fiercely idealistic and almost militantly egalitarian, the southerners combine some commendable attributes with some very antagonistic ones. On the positive side, most of them grow steeped in culture and intellectual debate. They cherish ideals like the freedom of expression and the freedom of belief. On the negative side, they are always the spoil sports, finding fault with EVERYTHING others do. They don't take sides, and are more apt to criticize their King than support him. Southerners do not send any of their citizens to join the army.
Southerners are the polar opposite of the eastern provinces. Religion is often viewed as a philosophic attitude, and they rarely stand for anything- prefering to argue against everything or arguing for it, depending on their whims. This is strongly Mitraa territory, and Lawgivers are viewed with so much contempt most of them won't even deign to talk to you if you follow that philosophy. Southerners get along fine with the northern provinces as they see them as fellows in the pursuit of art and culture, but curiously, a strong and unusual bond has been created between them and the war-like westerners. Though they are "bereft" of culture, the southerners always support them as they admire their tough independent attitude.
Their capital city- Kalinga is an exciting city for those interested in architecture and the arts. They have more universities than any other province, and their representative is a woman (which caused half of the Eastern province to explode in outrage) named Vac. Vac (pronounced Vah-awk) is a formidable seeker whose speciality is anu shakti, which can loosely be described as the power of the atom. If she existed in modern ages, her profession would be described as some ancient, archiac form of molecular physics. However, she is more famous for the furious debates she has with Pundit Chaturvedi in the Sama council. These debates get so heated that common citizens who are absolutely uninterested in politics go to watch the proceedings purely for the theatrics.
6. Western provinces: Western provinces are described by northerners as the "armpit of samsara" and from a geographical point of view, this may be true. Everything about the western provinces is hostile - from the dense jungles, to the hostile wildlife. The westerners have had to fight off nagas, beels, predators, and unfriendly foreigners. They have had to survive droughts and flood. And eke out a living on sour soil and turbulent, treacherous waters. As a result, westerners are exceedingly tough. Children, both male and female are trained in arms as soon as they are old enough to weild a weapon and they grow up to be prized recruits for the Military. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the army is comprised of someone with atleast one parent from the western provinces. The commander of the military Gambheera is from the western provinces and the man he replaced- Jambhavan is currently the head of the western council.
There are no big towns in the western provinces, and they produce nothing of value. But in addition to the soldiers they provide in copious amounts, they are well known for another skill. Their boatmen- the charans who learn from navigating the brutal waters of the Pranshula rapids are considered the most hardy and skilled boatsmen in the world and are often employed by traders.
Westerners however do not see themselves as part of the Kingdom in any intimate way. Their participation in the military is not seen as a duty but as a "job". Bravery comes easily to them, but service does not. There have been talks of breaking away from Samsara to have their own country that is independent from Samsaran rule, and the southern province have been supportive of this. However, it has not gained popularity among the more powerful members of western province society, so this is not a big concern at this moment.
Westerners are suspicious of all foreigners except Dwarfs. Dwarfs stood by them during the Battle of Saptagiri (seven hills) and died alongside them as they defended the first seven settlements in the region against Beel tribes. Elves are particularily disliked as they are seen as shiftless and loyal only to coin, something the westerners loathe. The animosity between the westerners and northerners is also well known as both are exceedingly dismissive of each other. Westerners will tolerate southerners...barely, but will not form friendships easily with any other province member.
Rudaali - a visual tour
Nestled among the rolling Vindhya hills of the lower central provinces is the small village of Rudaali. This is where you have spent most of your childhood, though Lopamudra's rigorous training has always ensured you were always a tad isolated from much of what was happening in the village. However, everyone here knows you, and most even admire you for being someone who can wield a blade. None of them can, and none of them really want to except maybe for the ever anxious Vijay, the sole and underappreciated member of the village militia. A veteran of the Eastern Rebellions, he is always worried that an attack is imminent on the village. Most villagers see him as a bit of a joke.
Rudaali was founded fifty years ago when two nomadic tribes merged. Their respective heads decided to share leadership and that has worked out well for them. The headman Shankar is the man villagers run to with their problems when they expect a sympathetic ear, or a shoulder to cry on. The village woman Malati is someone they rely on to solve their problems. Between Shankar's kind heart and bumbling ineptitude, and Malati's caustic tongue but ruthless efficiency, Rudaali has hummed along smoothly and prosperously for half a century.
Rudaali does not really get attention from most of the empire. Its soil is too rocky to grow any crops, and the rapidly flowing rivers yield a bony and slender fish that not even the most desperate would eat. Rudaali knows no threat from beast or men that merits military attention, nor do their people have any artistic skills that would attract the beady eyes of traders. Thus, it is the closest to tranquility as can be expected in an empire often plagued by minor and major problems. People can roam freely in the woods, for the wolves are stuffed with prey aplenty, and bandits don't even bother to venture there. The only ones paying attention to Rudaali are the ever persistent Lawgivers who have been trying for years to convert its folk to the Righteous worship of Rudra. The people have stayed firm to their worship of Chandi Maa, the Mother Goddess who is also called the Goddess of the Plague. The village Priest Ved is a passive, gentle man who has yet to say a harsh word about anything. In fact, you have never even seen him express a strong opinion. That is unusual for Rudaalis are known to be highly outspoken, and almost offensively articulate people as is typical of most of the people of the Central Provinces, who lack the tact of the northern provinces, the intellect of the southern provinces, the taciturn reserve of the western provinces, or the simpler natures of the easterners who they are likely to dismiss as the fakers, effetes, barbarians and retards, respectively.
Just north of Rudaali are the crumbling ruins of an ancient temple. No one knows who the temple was dedicated to, and people are scared of venturing inside. Though people have peeked inside, and even explored the empty interior hall, there are whispers that some terrible evil rests within. However the exterior area with its tinkling waterfall and gurgling river is considered one of the prettiest places around the village and romantically inclined couples often go there in spring to ...um...admire the birds. However, it is nearing winter now, and you needn't fear rustling any busy folk from the Bandini bushes.
If you venture further north up the ruins, you will see the Rudaali woods. The Rudaali woods were once an important Trade route to Hasthi, a bustling trade town halfway to Ratnagiri (the trade capital of Samsara), but as more and more traders prefer to take the river, it has fallen to neglect. An old inn still stands there with faint hints of its once vibrant past. The few animals that lurk here are absolutely uninterested in you as prey, though if you happen to see a bear with a cub, you may want to stay away. Remember always, it is considered a sin to kill an animal for sport in Samsara.
Apart from the ramshackle inn, you may find stray travelers and timber harvesters. However, the woods are not known for any activity. Some villagers have spoken about a woodland cabin with an important looking stranger living within, but that is something you are going to have to investigate yourself.
The rolling Vindhya hills give way to the Ekadanta pass, once the only way to travel across the Central provinces. However, as I mentioned before, the Parag river meanders around the hills and makes for a far more pleasant journey than trudging through the rather formidable mountain pass. The few people who dare to make this journey travel in large groups for there are rumors of bandits desperate enough to prey on those so poor they cannot afford even the astoundingly cheap River Ferry.
The Ekadanta pass takes you to the outskirts of the bustling trade town of Hasthi, which is half way to Ratnagiri. Most traders tend to stop and pick up supplies there and enjoy a bit of old fashioned hospitality and old fashioned prices before they head to the extravangantly priced Trade Capital.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Beta testing
Gee, I wonder if anyone even reads this. Because sometimes writing in this feels like talking to my cat. But if you do, I have an update.
For those of you with whom I correspond regularily, you will know that my mod got corrupted. Again. But this time I recreated all the areas and quests that I had done so far. Chapter 1 is almost complete and though it is an "intro chapter", it is a long and complex one, and I could do with some help testing it. If you are interested, and can spare the time starting next weekend, please let me know and I'd love your assistance.
Again, please understand that there are only 2 of us working on the first chapter, so it may be quite buggy in terms of conversations. Any advice, thoughts, feedback will also be appreciated, so please don't think you will only be correcting spellos and the like.
I can be contacted through Bioware's PM system. That is the most reliable way to get me.
For those of you with whom I correspond regularily, you will know that my mod got corrupted. Again. But this time I recreated all the areas and quests that I had done so far. Chapter 1 is almost complete and though it is an "intro chapter", it is a long and complex one, and I could do with some help testing it. If you are interested, and can spare the time starting next weekend, please let me know and I'd love your assistance.
Again, please understand that there are only 2 of us working on the first chapter, so it may be quite buggy in terms of conversations. Any advice, thoughts, feedback will also be appreciated, so please don't think you will only be correcting spellos and the like.
I can be contacted through Bioware's PM system. That is the most reliable way to get me.
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